


Look what you've done! I'm a motherfuckin' starboy

by I_dlovetobeknowunknown



Category: Naruto
Genre: Ahhh Naruto, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Konoha can get wrecked, My pride and joy, absolute chaos, and approximately gives 0 shits, bad for others, in a way that's really, low key cackling, my baby is gonna live up to potential, watch as he wrecks havoc everywhere
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 03:24:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13045479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_dlovetobeknowunknown/pseuds/I_dlovetobeknowunknown
Summary: A slow smirk spreads across Naruto’s face. They don’t want him to succeed? Fine. Then he’s going to make sure he’s the baddest fuckin’ thing to ever come out of Konoha. He grins, slow and satisfied, sharp canines glinting in the mirror. Yeah, he likes the sound of that.





	Look what you've done! I'm a motherfuckin' starboy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto is entered into the academy when he’s just four years old. It takes him approximately two months to realise that absolutely no one wants him to succeed. It takes another two for him to decide that he doesn't care and that he’s going to start doing things his way.

Naruto is the baby of his class - it’s an undisputed fact. He’s smaller than everyone, his cheeks are pudgier, his arms are shorter and he’s clumsier. For a while, he gathers envy before his classmates realise that even though he might have been entered before them, it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s better.

 

He can’t reach where he wants and more often than not, he ends up beaten up by their stronger arms and taller frames. The envy shifts and they start to become kinder, there are little encouragements here and there, some head pats and sometimes, when he gets ever so lucky, they will include him in their games - cheering and lifting him up when they win.

 

He has friends - him - Uzumaki Naruto, the one person everyone, absolutely everyone likes to hate. Naruto doesn’t have any incentive to get better - why should he? If he becomes better than them then they’ll start to dislike him and there’s no way he’s going to risk that.

 

It lasts three weeks. Three weeks of glorious happiness, of friendship and bonds and kindness and Naruto drinks it up like a starving man. His friendship with the kids in his class has gotten to the part where six-year-olds, ever so friendly, start bragging about their little brother figure - the one that’s obviously better than the classmates in their rival classes.

 

And that spells utter disaster. The result is instantaneous as soon as the name ‘Uzumaki Naruto’ escapes their lips. Parents revolt, pulling their sons and daughters out, screaming at the teachers and demanding that he be kicked out. The Hokage doesn’t relent but Naruto is pulled aside and put in a class by himself.

 

When they return, there’s no more teasing remarks or warm head pats. Naruto’s by himself, stuck in an icy wilderness whilst the warm summer sun flits by his door, so close yet, so far. He stumbles into the class once, disregarding the warnings and watches the laughter die, the way they all curl away from him - the cautious stares and the learned dislike. He flees before they can say anything.

 

There he learns that he can do anything, do whatever they want and it still won’t ever be enough. He’ll never be likeable enough. If they’re going to dislike him anyways, then Naruto’s going to give them a reason for disliking him. At least then, they’ll look at him.

 

Hirato-sensei, an old chunin with about three fingers missing from his right-hand is Naruto’s tutor and he hates Naruto with the fiery passion of a thousand burning suns. At least Minamo-sensei still tolerated him, despite the icy cold stares, she’d help if he didn’t get something - explaining the concept to him or getting one of the other kids in the class to do it.

 

One time, he even caught her thawing a bit - peeling a small tangerine and giving it to him between class. That tangerine had been the yummiest thing Naruto had ever tasted - it’s sweet, sticky juice exploding in his small mouth. Even now, he can feel the lingering sweetness.

 

Not that it matters, he scowls, he’s now stuck with stuffy old Hirato. Hirato would commit seppuku before ever taking the time to properly explain _anything_ to Naruto. It’s not Naruto’s fault he doesn’t get everything at once, at some point the words stop making sense and start becoming just that, words.

 

He’s only four years old and he’s trying. Minamo-sensei understood that he didn’t get it if she put it into long, big words and made sure to break it into easy words for him. At times, she would even forget who she was talking to and drew little pictures to help!

 

Things get fuzzy if it’s too long and Hirato speaks in the most boring way possible - Naruto’s had to sit through council meetings - he knows what boring is. He angrily draws symbols, filling in what little he can grasp from Hirato-sensei’s lecture because he hasn’t quite grasped writing yet.

 

Naruto needs to improve and he needs to improve now. He takes everything without complaint: the harsh blows from taijutsu that send him reeling, the tantalising laughter at the edge of the room, coming from just across the corridor and the fuzzy words.

 

At the end of the day, he quietly slips away and enters the library. It’s time to get to work.

 

* * *

 

The first thing Naruto does is climb onto a stool and search for something that’ll help him properly read and write. He struggles but stubbornly carries on - it’s hard to find what you’re looking for when you’re only three feet tall and have a limited grasp on reading.

 

A shadow falls over him. “Can I help you, little one?” Naruto tilts his head back and watches the way the warmth drains out of the librarian's face, the way her eyes become icy cold and the way she presses her lips together.

 

“Yeah,” he says, ignoring the sickly churning of his stomach and bravely pressing forward. “I need something that’ll help me read and write.” He stumbles over his words but even that doesn’t soften her towards him, the way he’s seen most people doing to other kids.

 

That’s okay though, Naruto’s used to not being like other kids. Her eyes sweep over him, not quite in disdain and Naruto squints at the name tag, gaze darting away from her face because he doesn’t need to - he’s already seen enough of those looks - he can’t take another.

 

He wets his lips. “Um, Michiko-san?” he asks, hesitantly and when he glances up, her mouth becomes even thinner.

 

“It’s Sachiko,” she tells him shortly. “Do you have an academy pass to access those books?” Naruto does in fact, have a pass because even though he knows you don’t need a pass to get these kinds of books, no one's ever been kind to Naruto. They don’t _want_ him to succeed - to be happy.

 

He’s heard plenty of whispers. Things like ‘ _what were they thinking_ ,’ and ‘ _can you imagine if they let someone like that become a shinobi_ ,’ float around in abundance. Naruto’s four, not stupid and he knows, knows that they’ll never let him amount to anything if they can help it - if it means he'll rot away forever, unhappy and unloved.  

 

So he always, always prepares. When no-one else has his back, he has to doubly make sure he has his own. He clambers off the stool and sticks a hand into his frog backpack, drawing out the pass with one hand and keeping the spare one out of sight, deep in the folds of all the unimportant things he jammed in there - just in case.

 

She takes it and holds it up in the air, checking its authenticity in the light while Naruto anxiously clutches his backpack, biting his lip. The librarian looks down and Naruto automatically smooths his expression out. The more she knows he wants it, the more she’s likely to take it away.

 

But he’s only four years old and his body is young enough to betray him. Sachiko stares at him, eyes all razor sharp and jagged edges, and then turns sharply on her heels. “Are you coming, boy?” She asks, not bothering to look back and Naruto scrambles to action, tiny feet running to catch up with her long strides and walking doggedly at her heels.

 

She slams a door open and Naruto sneezes in the dust. There are hundreds of books squirrelled away at this part of the library, a hidden treasure of knowledge and even as his eyes burn from the filth curled up in the air, he looks at it with awe.

 

It’s a tiny room, built in a dome and there’s very little space to sit and read but Naruto takes it anyway. He’ll take anything he can get. Nothing ever comes free or easy, Naruto learnt that the hard way and when you do get an opportunity, you seize it and never let it go.

 

A stack of books thump down beside him and Sachiko raises an eyebrow, watching him cooly. “Well,” she says, “didn’t you say you wanted to learn, boy?” Naruto nods eagerly, only barely remembering to slow the speed of his nods and his hands clutch the book possessively.

 

Her eyes flicker to his hands and Naruto reluctantly let's go, hiding his hands behind his back and taking a step back. Unwilling and unable to resist the thrum of longing that runs through him, he takes a look at the ancient tomes. They look like they’re full of boring stuff but something in Naruto _wants._

 

There’s a shift of movement and clothes brush against him. The librarian stands at the door and holds out his pass, before putting it on the stack of books next to her. “Use this when you want to leave,” she says, “and don’t make a mess.” The door closes with a soft click behind her and finally, Naruto’s alone.

 

* * *

 

Naruto cracks open a book and traces the words inside, a soft feeling of wonder growing inside him. Wait, he frowns briefly, if he doesn’t know how to properly read... how are these books going to help him learn? He clutches his head and sits down miserably, these aren’t the type of books that help kids to learn and write - he’s seen those kinds of books. They’re smaller and have really big words (but not a lot) with pictures next to them.

 

He should have known things wouldn’t be this easy. He leans up, getting on his knees to grab the book off the top and sits back down again. He’ll try. Even if the stupid lady doesn’t want him to learn, there should be at least something he can get out of this. Something is always, always better than nothing.

 

He flicks through the pages, thumbing through them with one hand as he bites into his sandwich (butter and jam - he even cut it into cute little triangles!), held by the other. There are symbols in this book! He tears the bread off in excitement, chewing rapidly and keeps flicking.

 

In fact, most of this book is filled with drawings. He gets up and pulls the second book of the stack, quickly opening it. This one too! Hurriedly, he discards it and opens the next one, and the next one and the next one. All of these books are filled in scribbles. Scribbles he can _understand_. Naruto bends down and strokes the weathered spine of the precious book.

 

Determination fills him. He’s going to do this. He’s going to become so amazing that everyone will have to acknowledge him. Whether it’s with respect or not, Naruto doesn’t care - Naruto Uzumaki is going to be amazing and nothing, absolutely nothing is going to stop him.

 

* * *

 

Five hours later, Sachiko opens the door to see the brat still pouring over the books. She knocks on the hardwood, leaning against the door. “Time to go brat,” she says bluntly and Naruto’s head whips up, face covered in dismay.

 

He stands, clutching a tome and his eyes flicker longingly to the rest of the books laid on the floor. She holds out a hand. “You can’t take that one,” she tells him and the brat practically wilts around the edges.

 

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she grasps the brat by his elbow and stuffs another book into his backpack. “This, however, you can take.” Sachiko steers him out of the room and lets him go, turning a blind eye to the way he stares up at her.

 

Whatever, she’s not even being kind. She stares down at him and he stares up at her, not moving. Her mouth twists. “Come back tomorrow brat, the books aren’t going anywhere.” The kid practically glows and runs off and Sachiko scoffs, turning off the lights. Whatever.

 

* * *

 

Naruto’s learned so much today, it’s amazing. And it wasn’t even through real words! Drawings are amazing.

 

He closes his door and runs inside, throwing his backpack onto the floor and opening the fridge. Naruto brings out the leftovers Jiji gave him and cleanly splits apart his chopsticks, scrambling onto the chair and shoving the well-deserved food into his mouth, relishing in the delicious taste.

 

After a minute, he glances back at his discarded bag and slowly slides off the chair, plodding towards it and bending down to grasp it as he chews on beef. He unzips the bag, biting his chopsticks to clear his hands and draws out the book the librarian gave him.

 

It’s obviously not like other books Naruto’s been reading all day long. This book is lighter and way thinner. He frowns, turning it over in his hand and walks back to the table, clambering onto the chair again.

 

Naruto dives into the food and curiously, opens the book. He stills. The book has big words (but not a lot) and there are really nice pictures beside them. He presses a button and the words above it light up, glowing as a voice sounds them out, and when he gets to the back, there are small sheets tucked in - all with questions and quizzes about what he learned in the book.

 

Naruto swallows and closes the book. He needs to go to sleep for the academy the next day but... he’s just been given an opportunity when he expected none. And Naruto knows better than to let an opportunity slip away.

 

Deep into the night, one light stays alight and a young child perseveres. Naruto is going to get this done if it’s the last thing he does.


End file.
